Having introduced concentration camps (detention centres) for refugees in 1992 (under working class politician turned — gasp! — businessman Gerry Hand), and having witnessed them flourish under HoWARd, the ALP under KRudd has finally decided to alter the way in which the Federal Government will decide who comes to this country, and the circumstances under which they are imprisoned and tortured may apply for refugee status. Working families are united in joy, but GSL — one of the primary beneficiaries of the hundreds of millions of dollars HoWARd splurged on the prison industry — must be making like baby Jesus on hearing Collingwood lost to Essendon last round.
Labor unveils new risk-based detention policy
Tuesday 29 July 2008
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, today announced a suite of reforms to Australia’s immigration detention system. Senator Evans said that under Labor’s reforms, detention in immigration detention centres will only be used as a last resort and for the shortest practicable time. The Government will retain mandatory detention to support the integrity of Australia’s immigration program. Senator Evans said the Government’s new policy will see the Department of Immigration and Citizenship take a risk-based approach to detention. ‘A person who poses no danger to the community will be able to remain in the community while their visa status is resolved,’ Senator Evans said. ‘The department will have to justify why a person should be detained. Once in detention, a detainee’s case will be reviewed every three months to ensure that the further detention of the individual is justified. ‘Children will not be detained in an immigration detention centre.’
Profile: GSL (Australia)
Line of Business Corrective Centres in Australia
Annual Turnover (AU) $173,606,000
Head Office Level 4, 441 St Kilda Road
MELBOURNE 3004 VIC
AUSTRALIA
Website http://www.gslpl.com.auProfile
INTRODUCTION
GSL (Australia) Pty Limited is a privately owned facilities management company. The company derives its revenue from the management of immigration detention facilities throughout Australia, prisons in Victoria and South Australia, forensic psychiatric facilities in Victoria and Tasmania, prisoner transport and court security in Victoria and South Australia, and public non-emergency ambulance services in Victoria. GSL (Australia) employs more than 1,300 staff throughout its operations.
HISTORY / BACKGROUND
1994 – GSL (Australia) Pty Ltd was established as Group 4 Correction Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of UK – based Group 4 Securitas.
1995 – Began to manage and operate Mount Gambier prison, South Australia’s only privately managed prison.
1997 – Port Phillip Prison commenced operations.
– GSL began providing prisoner transport services to Corrections Victoria, the Victoria Police and the Department of Human Services.
2000 – The business was renamed Group 4 Falck Global Solutions, when the parent company merged with the Falck Group.
2002 – Acquired Medical Transport Services Australia Pty Ltd, one of Victoria’s largest and most experienced private non-emergency ambulance services.
2003 – Secured the contract to manage all detention centres in Australia under a contract with the Commonwealth Government, represented by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.
2004 – Following a further merger with Securicor, Global Solutions Limited was created when the businesses in the UK, South Africa and Australia were demerged from the parent company. GSL (Australia) Pty Ltd was subsequently established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Solutions Limited.
2006 – Began providing security services to the Wilfred Lopes Centre for Forensic Mental Health.
PRODUCTS
The principal business activities of GSL (Australia) consist of the provision of custodial, patient transportation and detention services.
The company manages the following prisons:
Port Phillip Prison – Melbourne, Victoria
Mount Gambier Prison – Mount Gambier, South Australia
GSL and its business partner, US-based BI Inc, provide the equipment and technical support and training to the Electronic Monitoring Program South Australia (EMPSA).
GSL provides prisoner transport services to Corrections Victoria, the Victoria Police and the Department of Human Services and is responsible for the management of all prisoners appearing before the courts of South Australia.
GSL manages all detention centres in Australia. These include:
Baxter Immigration Detention Facility – Port Augusta, SA
Villawood Immigration Detention Centre – Sydney, NSW
Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre – Melbourne, Vic
Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation Centre – Brisbane, Qld
Perth Immigration Detention Centre – Perth, WA
Northern Immigration Detention Facility – Darwin, NT
Christmas Island Immigration Reception & Processing Centre – Indian Ocean
The company provides security services to secure psychiatric facilities:
Thomas Embling Hospital – Melbourne, Victoria
Wilfred Lopes Centre – Hobart, Tasmania
See also : Lynda Crowley-Cyr, ‘Contractualism, Exclusion and ‘Madness’ in Australia’s ‘Outsourced Wastelands’, Macquarie Law Journal, 2005 | An Indigenous GSL Death in Custody (Project SafeCom)



